The headteacher at All Saints College, James Colquhoun (pictured), talks about why he is quitting his controversial post just one year after the school opened.

This has been the most interesting year of my life and I will miss Newcastle when I take up my new post in January.

Chapter one of the All Saints story is written and it is the right time for me and the right time for the school that a new head takes over.

I think the governors and the education authority knew that there was a very specific job to be done, planning and launching a fresh start at the school.

The next chapters in this school's story will run for another three to five years and this cannot be my baby anymore - the school has to move on without me.

All Saints is not like any other school in the region. The media coverage it has had since opening has been phenomenal.

I know that I had a specific job to do and by Christmas the school will be ready to hand over to someone else.

But I feel I have shown all those people that doubted us that we have done it - the school is a success. It is now over-subscribed and over-staffed and the school is a happy community. It is going places.

I knew it would be a challenging job at All Saints College, but the response from students and their families has been fantastic.

Since September 2001, I have been involved it getting this school to where it is now and was involved in the planning. It has been a very intense period in my career and I didn't want to carry it on - it would not be right for me or the school.

This school is already much bigger than James Colquhoun, it now has to find its own way rather than relying on its founder head. One reason why I decided to leave All Saints is because an interesting job has come up in a part of the world I know well.

I am ready to move because parents and our granddaughter live hundreds of miles away and we are moving to be nearer them.

However, my principal reason for moving is still because of the fact that I was recruited to do a unique job and I feel that it is now done.

In between now and Christmas, though, there is a lot of work to do and I will carry on working hard to keep this school going strong.

It is good to see that children have returned this September positive about the future and eager to start work.

Our GCSE pass rate of 12 per cent was disappointing, but it is an improvement on the grades the other schools, before All Saints College, were getting.

I believe that 2004 will see a tremendous improvement for a whole variety of reasons not least because the students will have been with us for the full five terms of GCSE.

Also our zero tolerance policy has received nothing but praise and support from families in this area because we are now all on the same side.

We are dealing effectively with aggression, bullying and cheek.

Natalie Ruddick's death was a big tragedy for the school and a time of great sadness, but our young people behaved admirably.

They didn't resort to mass hysteria and they marked her death with great dignity.

Head to quit after a year

The head of a troubled Tyneside school is quitting his #76,000 job after less than a year, the Chronicle can reveal.

The role of headteacher at All Saints College in West Denton Way, Newcastle was described in a job advert as the most challenging in Britain.

And less than 12 months after taking up the high-profile post, high flier James Colqu-houn is handing in his notice.

He has revealed to the Chronicle his new post will be at St Lawrence School in Bradford-Upon-Avon, near Bath, which is also in need of guidance.

Even before it opened last September All Saints College was hit by problems as building work delayed the start of term by one week.

Margaret Embleton, whose son Anthony, 13, is a pupil there, said: "First the council shuts our schools down and then the headteacher leaves us after just one year. A lot of parents are saying he has only thought about his career.

"I am worried that Anthony will not go on to pass his GCSEs as the school didn't do well in the exams this year."

Maxine Reed, of The Grove, West Denton, whose son Anthony, 14, also attends All Saints said: "I am surprised that he is going after so short a time.

"He always seemed to put a lot of effort into the running of the school so this has come as quite a shock. I never met him personally but I thought he was doing a good job and I am sad that he is leaving so soon. I hope the next head will be as good."

In November the Chronicle exclusively revealed how within just two months 117 problem pupils had been excluded from the school.

And just two weeks ago only 12 per cent of pupils achieved five A* to C GCSE grade passes.

After just a year the school has issued 477 exclusions to students for issues such as smoking and disorderly behaviour. This includes 28 permanent exclusions and 449 short term. The school said this figure could be misunderstood as several children have been issued with a number of exclusions.

The college, run in a partnership the city council, Newcastle University and the Church of England, was set up to replace four failing schools: Firfield College in Blakelaw, West Denton High and Denton Park and Chevyside Middle schools in West Denton.

Brian Oglethorpe, acting chairman of governors, said: "Mr Colquhoun has laid down very firm foundations and high standards at All Saints College and the number of pupils attending the school is already increasing.

"We now look forward to welcoming a new principal who can build of the existing success."

West Denton councillor Mary Carr said: "Mr Colquhoun was given a very difficult job but he has got the school to a very high standard.

"I would like to thank him on behalf of all the West Denton councillors for the job that he has done and for helping to set up such an amazing school."

Philip Turner, Newcastle's director of education, said: "We are very fortunate to have had James Colquhoun as principal of All Saints College and naturally we will be sorry to see him leave in December.

"He has established a well-run school, where pupils are very much valued and encouraged to work hard to get the most out of their education."

More than 900 pupils attend the college which was to offer new hope for youngsters at the schools it replaced.

Elaine Kay, principal officer for the National Union of Teachers in the North, said: "Mr Colquhoun made the tough decision to sweep a whole heap of desirables out of the school and I am sure this will be something that will continue even after he leaves."